Chicken Scaloppine with Hazelnut-Cream Sauce

The sauce packs a great hazelnut crunch, and Madeira's nutty flavors bring it all together.

Ingredients

4 Servings

2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup Madeira

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, chopped (about 1 1/4 ounces)

Preparation

Remove tenderloins from chicken breast halves. Slice each chicken breast half on diagonal into 4 cutlets. Place cutlets and tenderloins between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Using mallet, pound each piece to about 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle pounded chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm. Add shallot to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Pour in Madeira and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add cream; boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.